


First Date

by ChElFi



Series: I Don't Dance [4]
Category: Captain America (Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: 30 Day OTP Challenge, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Captain Hill - Freeform, Day 4, Developing Captain Hill, Developing Relationship, F/M, Going on a date, POV Male Character, Romance, Single POV, Steve's Pov
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-09-04
Updated: 2014-09-04
Packaged: 2018-02-16 03:17:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,506
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2253828
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ChElFi/pseuds/ChElFi
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Nerves and memories collide on Steve's and Maria's first date.</p>
            </blockquote>





	First Date

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: Day 4. Going on a Date. Lame title whether or not you know it's from the Blink 182 song. :D As I've said before, I suck at titles.
> 
> This story takes place a few weeks after the end of "Uninvited," so about a month after the day 3 story.

Steve pulled the van he'd requisitioned from SHIELD into a space down the street from Maria's apartment. He let out a long breath as he killed the engine, then peered through the windscreen at the light in her window. Swallowing down his nerves like a piece of poorly chewed meat, he placed his hand on the door handle and forced himself to push it open.

Picking up the flowers off the seat next to him, he stepped out onto the street and shut the door, then checked his reflection in the window. For the thousandth time since he woke that morning he tried to assure himself that this would not be like all those dates Bucky had set him up on in college. This time he was going out with a woman he had asked on a date who had accepted.

Besides, Steve smirked to himself, they'd been unofficially going out for over two months. Maria just had no idea at the time he'd been trying to court her.

Taking another deep breath, he forced his feet to move away from the van and down the street.

A few minutes later he knocked on her door and pulled a handkerchief from his pocket to wipe his sweaty palms. Fortunately, he thought, she was still on crutches so he wouldn't be able to hold her hand most of the time and have to worry about that embarrassing part of his nerves.

When Maria opened the door, Steve's voice stuck in his throat. She was wearing a modest red dress that had a black lace overlay, the colors were striking and enhanced her natural beauty. He opened his mouth to tell how beautiful she looked, but he couldn't quite make the words come out.

She chuckled quietly and stepped back to let him in.

"I'll take that as approval of the dress," she said as she shut the door behind him.

"The dress," he finally told her. "Everything."

They stared at each other for another moment, Steve still somewhat dumbstruck, Maria with an expectant smile.

"The flowers are beautiful," she said and nodded to the bouquet of asters* Steve held.

"Oh, yeah," he said. "These are for you. I'll put them in a vase for you."

He went to the cabinet in the kitchenette and pulled out the one vase she owned, from flowers he'd brought her when she was in the hospital, and filled it with water from the tap.

"You know," Maria said behind him. "If dating me is going to make you this nervous, we could call it something else."

Steve turned quickly toward her, trying to find words to assure her, but he saw she had a bemused look on her face and he relaxed.

"I'm sorry," he said. "It's really stupid of me. I just, I've never really dated."

"Well, I'll try to make it as painless as possible," she assured him.

* * *

Steve had made the reservation and specified a table out of the way due to Maria's cast. It made for a perfect location; back in a corner, the wait staff, while attentive, never had to pass by for other patrons. And, as the evening passed in quiet conversation, Steve relaxed entirely. He felt foolish for his earlier fears. Maria didn't act any differently than she had when they were "just friends."

He was about to suggest they drive to the park and take a carriage ride, Steve had no doubt he could easily help Maria into the cab, when light piano music started playing on the other side of the restaurant and the pianist announced that the dance floor would be opening.

"It's too bad I've got a bum leg," Maria sighed. "It would be nice if we could dance."

She turned to him and smiled, and suddenly Steve had a vision of another brunette, her red dress beautifully accenting her curves. His chest suddenly felt tight causing his breaths to shorten.

"Steve?" Maria leaned over the table and took his hand. "Are you OK?"

He nodded his head, not wanting to ruin the evening for her. But she gave him a dubious look and turned to waive to their waiter to bring the check.

"Maria, I'll be fine," he said, though he knew it was a lie, and from the look on Maria's face, she did as well.

Outside, he gave the valet his claim ticket and they waited for the van to be brought around. Steve felt Maria's worried gaze on him the entire time. Internally, he fumed. It had been months since he'd had an incident like this. And he couldn't remember ever having one in public. He had no idea what had come over him.

He drove them back to Maria's, palpable silence hanging between them. When they arrived and were parked, Maria reached over to touch Steve's arm. He knew he could no longer convince anyone who could see him that he was fine.

"Let's go upstairs and we can talk," she said.

He turned to her to say he couldn't. How was he supposed to tell her that while they were out on their first date, he was having flashbacks about Peggy? But the look on Maria's face said she would not take no for an answer. He closed his eyes as that thought only brought more visions of Peggy to the forefront of his mind.

Once in the apartment, Maria ordered Steve to sit on the sofa while she got him a soda. He felt guilty making her wait on him as she hobbled about the small room on her crutches, but he didn't think his voice could hold for an argument.

After she sat down, she turned, as best she could with her cast, to look at him.

"There was a trigger?" She asked, as if she knew.

He looked at her for a moment, unsure how to tell her.

"Was it the music?" She asked, her voice gentle, her eyes brimming with concern.

Steve shook his head.

"Dancing," he managed to force out.

She reached over and took his hand in hers.

"Tell me," she said.

He stared at her for a moment as he realized something for the first time. All these months he had thought she'd never shown a sign that she was interested in him, that she might feel differently about him than she did for anyone else. But it had been right in front of his face the entire time.

He'd watched her for more than a year before New York, she'd fascinated him from the first time he saw her in the officer's mess. She was so unlike the others that he couldn't help himself. But he had never seen her treat anyone the way she treated him. She never gave anyone the attention she gave him. He'd been expecting her to show her interest the same as Peggy had, but Maria was not Peggy, and, Steve realized that he was OK with that.

Relaxing, finally, he smiled slightly.

"Peggy was going to teach me to dance," he told her.

And for the first time it wasn't an overwhelming thought. For the first time it was OK to think about it, to tell someone about it.

They talked for a while. He'd never shared a lot about Peggy with her before. It had been too painful.

He didn't know how he'd made it through before Maria, he'd been so alone. But even as only friends she had somehow grounded him, somehow made it seem like this was where he truly belonged.

Steve leaned back on the couch and put his arm around Maria's shoulder. Pulling her into his embrace his kissed the top of her head.

"Do you want to watch a movie, or something?" he asked, not really wanting the evening to end.

"You could read to me," she said.

Steve smiled and reluctantly let go of her so he could walk over to her book shelf.

"So, what are you in the mood for?" he asked. "Astronomy? History? Linguistics?"

Steve had learned a lot in the past few months, just from Maria's personal collection. Maria had never been much for fiction. The movies they watched were usually for his personal education and he never thought she was entirely comfortable with them.

"How about that new one on the second shelf?" she pointed and Steve tried to follow her direction.

He found it right away and turned to her, raising a questioning eyebrow. She only shrugged.

"I figured it was a good compromise," she said, a slight smile on her face.

He took the book off he shelf and returned to his seat next to her. Opening the book, he began.

"The year 1866 was signalized by a remarkable incident, a mysterious and inexplicable phenomenon, which doubtless no one has yet forgotten."**

_*asters are a symbol of love_

_**20,000 Leagues Under The Sea by Jules Verne. I'm not sure if he was, but I always imagine Steve as a Jules Verne fan as a boy._

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: I hope you enjoyed that sweet story, because tomorrow...


End file.
